Two alleged car thieves were among 12 people arrested during a major overnight operation in Ballarat.
The blitz saw local police team up with specialist units including the Air Wing and Dog Squad to target car thefts and high-risk driving.
Officers were patrolling Ballarat East when they spotted an allegedly stolen Subaru Impreza travelling at speed about 11.15pm on Wednesday.
The Air Wing began following from above and guided members on the ground to Clayton Street where stop sticks were deployed.
The vehicle came to a stop outside an address in Mount Pleasant and two occupants allegedly fled on foot to a nearby property.
The pair, both aged 18, were arrested shortly after with assistance from the Dog Squad.
The alleged driver, a Canadian man, was charged with dangerous driving while being pursued by police, theft of motor vehicle and licensing offences.
He faced Ballarat Magistrates' Court on Thursday and was bailed to appear again on 18 May.
A woman of no fixed address was charged with theft of motor vehicle, possess drug of dependence and possess an imitation firearm.
She was bailed to appear before Ballarat Magistrates' Court.
In the early hours of this morning, police were patrolling the Wendouree area and attempted to intercept a vehicle when it took off at about 2am.
The Air Wing followed the vehicle to where it stopped outside a property in Wendouree.
Officers were guided to the location by Air Wing and a man was arrested and taken into custody.
The 27-year-old was charged with dangerous driving whilst being pursued by police and the vehicle was impounded.
He was remanded to appear at the Ballarat Magistrates' Court on 7 April.
The trio were among 12 people arrested during the two-night operation.
Police also seized four stolen cars and issued five infringement notices for traffic offences.
The operation comes as car thefts reach decade highs in the Ballarat area.
While police continue to target thieves, the community is urged take preventative measures such as installing on-board diagnostic port locks, parking off street where possible and always locking doors and windows.
Operation Talon ran overnight on 1- 2 April.
It will continue to run in the Ballarat area.
Quotes attributable to Ballarat Divisional Response Unit Detective Senior Sergeant Elissa Smith:
"While the community slept, we had scores of police patrolling the Ballarat area from both the ground and the sky.
"There was no place for crooks to hide with more than 12 arrests in two nights.
"Car thefts remain a significant concern for police and we will continue to run these targeted operations to remove reckless cars from the roads.
"While we continue to target thieves, we urge the community to take preventative measures such as installing on-board diagnostic port locks, parking off street where possible and always locking doors and windows.
"Our message to offenders is clear - you cannot outrun the Air Wing."
